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Friday, July 30, 2010

We grow our own green chilies and use them to make homemade "chili sauce". Green chilies, a little vinegar, and salt and pepper make a delicious, but simple chili sauce. I recently found a new product called Salsa Verde from Pace. Made with tomatillos and jalapenos, this sauce adds a tasty kick to chicken salad. (Even better, this salsa packs a lot of flavor with only 15 calories in 2 tablespoons.) Serve with Fruit Kabobs.

Heat a little over an inch of water in a saucepan and place broccoli in the boiling water; heat to boiling. Cover and cook 2 minutes to blanch the broccoli. The broccoli should be bright green. Immediately rinse with cold water; drain and set aside.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix cornstarch and soy sauce, then stir in sesame oil and broth.

In a wok or skillet, heat your oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and ginger root and stir for a few seconds. Quickly add bamboo shoots, then stir in the beef and broccoli and cook until beef is done.

Last, add the cornstarch mixture; cooking and stirring for about 30 seconds or until thickened. Serve on top of brown or white rice or noodles.

Friday, July 23, 2010

When you were little and your parents told you fish was brain food, they were right! Recent studies show that people who eat fish at least once a week have a lowered risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. This is a delicious high-protein meal packed with healthy veggies and a light dressing.

Place fish in a shallow dish; drizzle with the 1⁄3 cup vinaigrette. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, peel a strip around the center of each potato; place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add green beans; simmer, covered, about 5 minutes more or until potatoes and beans are tender. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Set aside.

Drain fish, reserving marinade. For a charcoal grill, grill fish on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, carefully turning and brushing with marinade halfway through grilling. If desired, place onion wedges and cooked potatoes on grill for the last half of grill time. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place fish on greased grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.) Discard any remaining marinade.

Blend on high until smooth. The pumpkin will make this smoothie thick, so be patient while blending. Add a bit more milk if needed.

Keep blending and slowly add in the ice. Make sure it blends icy-smooth! Again, if you need to add a bit more liquid, do it gradually. You can always do a taste test before pouring and modify as needed to suit your own tastes.

If desired, for extra flavor and nutrition, add a few extra cashews. Pour into glasses, and sprinkle with cinnamon on top. Makes 2 - 3 servings.

Many people only use Pumpkin in the fall months and they are missing out on a delicious and healthy treat. Pumpkin can be used in smoothies, breads, soups or these yummy pancakes. While very low in calories, Pumpkin is rich in potassium, magnesium and iron plus the antioxidant beta-carotene.

In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, and oil. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a separate bowl. Then stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve with warm maple syrup.

Add the remaining ingredients through the Old Bay, putting the milk in last. You want the mixture to be moist as it needs to be a little sticky to form the patties. You can add a splash more milk, if needed. (Do not let the mixture get runny.) Form mixture into hamburger-sized patties and sprinkle each side of the patties with Old Bay Seasoning, then place the patties on a plate.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to the pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat briefly, and then add the patties to the pan. Brown about 3 minutes on each side, until golden. (Note: Only flip the patties once during cooking.) Serve immediately with cocktail sauce or a light lemon-dill sauce.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Low-Country Boil? Frogmore Stew? Beaufort Stew? Shrimp Boil? The name given to this delicious meal will likely depend on your region, as each area of the country has its own name for this combination meal of seafood, potatoes, corn on the cob and kielbasa. Regardless of the name you are most familiar with, this hearty meal is a family favorite, and nothing tastes more like summer than a huge pot of boiling seafood. As a bonus, since this is a fairly messy meal, the kids seem to love it even more.

The main ingredients are adjustable according to your personal preferences. Add a little more shrimp or a little less crab or kielbasa, just add each ingredient to the pot in the same order, so all of the foods are cooked through, and finish cooking at the same time.

This recipe serves 10-12 adults. Serve with lemon wedges, lots of napkins and a big bowl in the middle of the table so everyone can discard the empty shells. Enjoy!!

Heat a very large pot of water using an outdoor turkey pot, or over medium-high heat indoors. Add Old Bay and Tabasco to the pot, then squeeze the lemon juice into the pot and then place the whole lemon in the pot and bring to a boil.

Add potatoes and sausage, cook for about 10 minutes. Add the corn and crab; cook for another 5 minutes, then add the shrimp when everything else is almost done, and cook for another 3 - 5 minutes.

Drain off the water and pour the contants into large servings bowls. Be sure to have 2 -3 large empty bowls on the table to discard crab and shrimp shells. Serve with ice cold beer and lots of napkins.

This recipe uses French Tarragon, a delicate herb which has a slightly anise-type flavor. You might also find Russian Tarragon plants which have a more mild flavor. Many grocery stores now carry fresh herbs in the produce section.

Tarragon Deviled Eggs and Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs

6-8 Large Eggs (I like the eggs generously filled, so I usually boil one or two extra for extra yolks)

While eggs are cooling, blend together the tarragon and vinegar. Mix in mayo and Dijon mustard, and let this mixture sit while the eggs are cooling.

When eggs are fully cooled, carefully cut in half lengthwise and remove yolks to a bowl. Mash yolks well with a fork, then mix in tarragon/mustard/mayo mixture. You can fill the eggs with a spoon, or put the mixture in a plastic bag, cut off one small corner, and squeeze the yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Garnish finished eggs with chopped fresh tarragon, if desired.